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犹大王约坦

2021-12-05 in , /by

〈历代志〉下27:6约坦在耶和华他神面前行正道，以致日渐强盛。

阅读经文：〈列王纪〉下  15:32-38
〈历代志〉下27

犹大王：罗波安→亚比央→亚撒→约沙法→约兰→亚哈谢→（亚她利雅）→约阿施→亚玛谢→亚撒利雅（乌西雅）→约坦

在犹大王中，约坦不是一个很出名的王，甚至是很少被人提起的王，但也是唯一一个没有显著过失的王，因为他是一个可以从历史去学习教训的王。自从他的父亲亚撒利雅（乌西雅）因为进圣殿，想要取代祭司向神烧香献祭，因而被神惩罚额头长大痲疯之后，约坦就开始代替父亲料理国事。但是直到亚撒利雅过世之后，约坦才登基做王。亚撒利雅除了献祭这件事，一生向神心存诚实，所以约坦效法父亲所行的正事，但是不入圣殿，免得得罪耶和华神。

约坦怎样效法他父亲呢？在〈历代志〉下27章里说：“约坦在耶和华他神面前行正道，以致日渐强盛”，原文则是说：“他在耶和华他神面前‘预备’行正道。”中文没有把‘预备’这两个字译出来。这个‘预备’在其他地方有时被译为：‘坚立’、‘坚定’、‘建立’、‘立定’、‘准备’。这些字曾用在四个王身上，第一位是犹大王罗波安：罗波安行恶、因他不‘立定’心意寻求 耶和华；神称赞约沙法，因为因为他‘立定’心意寻求神；希西家也是‘立定’心意寻求神；也是约坦‘立定’心意寻求神的王。有‘立定’心意，必有准备的工作，所以有译者把它译为：“约坦在耶和华他神面前‘预备’行正道。”我们若想立定心志跟随神，也需要有预备行正道的心。有预备，才能立定心意，才能实行。

约坦王在位期间，以赛亚、何西阿和弥迦在国内做先知。虽然约坦在神面前行正道，只是还没有废去丘坛，百姓仍在那里向假神献祭烧香。因为这个罪根没有除去，所以百姓也无法全心倚靠神。这是一个很大的遗憾。一般而言，上梁不正下梁歪，但若是上梁正下梁歪，那个建筑物也不建全。因此先知们在犹大国里不断地立言，希望使百姓能归向耶和华神，能明白神的心意。也因而我们回头再看约沙法派人到各城镇去教导百姓律法，是一件何等难能可贵的事。

Prepared for Something Greater

2021-12-05 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Exodus 2:11-25.  Let’s go!

Exodus 2:11-14 (NIV)
11  One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people.
12  Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.
13  The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?”
14  The man said, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “What I did must have become known.”

On verses 11-14:  There is so much packed into these verses that if you fail to read between the lines there is so much you could miss.

First of all, this passage jumps from Moses as an infant in verse 10 to Moses as an adult in verse 11.  We’ve just fast forwarded past the rest of Moses’ childhood, adolescence and early adulthood.  According to Acts 7:23-24, Moses was 40 years old by this time. 

Second, this passage shows Moses’ transition from identifying himself as an Egyptian to identifying as a Hebrew.  Keep in mind that Moses grew up in Pharaoh’s royal palace and called Pharaoh’s daughter “mom”.  

Thank God for His Protection

2021-12-03 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Exodus 2:1-10.  Let’s go!

Exodus 2:1-10 (NIV)
1  Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman,
2  and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months.
3  But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile.
4  His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him…….

On verses 1-10:  Exodus 2:1-10 is a beautiful picture of God’s protection.  Remember what the Nile River represented starting in Exodus 1:22. Intent on destroying the Israelites, Pharaoh ordered his people to throw every Hebrew boy into the Nile (see Exodus 1:22). So for the Israelites, the Nile River represented death.

Ironically, when Moses was a few months old, his mother hid him in a basket among the reeds of the Nile. But unlike other boys, when Moses went into the Nile River, he didn’t die. He came out alive!

《圣经中各种审判》12 — 对埃及的审判 之七

2021-12-03 in , /by

上帝审判干犯人权之极权

上帝曾用洪水毁灭地上的活物，仅存留八个人，这是全世界第一次广泛的审判，上帝应许以后不再用洪水毁灭世界，就以彩虹为记，与挪亚立约。耶稣再来时，白色大宝座的审判是用永远的烈火来审判。上帝对埃及的审判，是对帝国的审判。当百姓受当权者逼迫，上帝怜悯受逼迫的百姓，听见被奴役的以色列百姓的哀声，就纪念与亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各所立的约，因而干预人的政权，行了神蹟，超自然的上帝干预自然，显明祂是掌管宇宙万物的上帝，是天地的主宰。自然界的规律为上帝所定，当人违背上帝的心意，超自然的上帝干预自然界的规律，显明祂超越万有的能力，干预政界的不公。

在埃及之前，有所多玛、蛾摩拉被上帝毁灭，这是局部的区域被审判，然而埃及帝国国力强大的程度超越各国，甚至超越当时的中国，当时的中国还没有建造最宏伟的建筑，而埃及却已经建造很大的金字塔，是四千年前已有的建筑。中国的秦始皇于二千二百年前建立阿房宫【编按：阿房宫被誉为「天下第一宫」，是中国历史上第一个统一多民族的中央集权国家——秦朝修建的新朝宫，始建于秦始皇三十五年（前212年），与万里长城、秦始皇陵、秦直道并称为「秦始皇的四大工程」】，被放火烧了九十天还没有烧完，但阿房宫不高，也没有雄伟的石碑与高塔，然而埃及的金字塔历经风吹雨打的摧残，仍有高一百五十多公尺的建筑矗立在那，更何况是四千年前在没有现代科技的辅助下，动用二十万到四十万名工人建成的。这些帝王的坟墓、皇宫的建造真是令人感到不可思议，是古代建筑的典范，足见埃及是国力雄厚的帝国。

如此伟大的帝国，为什么遭受上帝的审判呢？上帝对埃及的审判关系着人类宗教自由、神人关系的基本人权，因为上帝所赋予的政权不应滥用其权，随意欺压百姓。当政权用人为的方法控制人的宗教自由、神人关系，这是上帝所不喜悦的。上帝审判埃及，差遣摩西面见法老并逐次降下各种灾难，法老总是刚硬着心，直等到第十大灾难临到埃及，法老才终于松手让以色列人离去。

北国君王从撒迦利雅到比加

2021-12-02 in , /by

〈列王纪〉下 26:5通晓神默示撒迦利亚在世的时候，乌西雅定意寻求神，他寻求耶和华，神就使他亨通。

阅读经文：〈列王纪〉下  15:1-12
〈历代志〉下  26:1-23

犹大王：罗波安→亚比央→亚撒→约沙法→约兰→亚哈谢→（亚她利雅）→约阿施→亚玛谢→亚撒利雅（乌西雅）→约坦

以色列王：耶罗波安（一世）→拿答→巴沙→以拉→心利→暗利→亚哈→亚哈谢→约兰→耶户→约哈斯→约阿施→耶罗波安(二世)→撒迦利雅

就像耶罗波安二世一样，犹大王亚撒利雅（乌西雅）登基后，也成了一个非常伟大的君王，在他的任内有许多辉煌的功绩。亚撒利雅的意思是“我的帮助是耶和华”，乌西雅的意思是“我的力量是耶和华”，在他执政时，的确让人看到神在犹大的作为，重新感受到神的祝福。但是也像历代的犹大王，他们行眼和华眼中看为正的事，“只是”，总有一点美中不足，是神心里的遗憾。这个“只是”让我们感受到神何等希望去掉我们心中的“只是”，多么希望我们能够全然归向祂，不要有“只是”的存在。只要有“只是”的存在，就有百姓还在丘坛献祭烧香的事实，就有百姓还在祭祀偶像和假神。神要的不只是犹大王归向祂，神要的是祂的子民都全然的归回。

神希望的，是否就是犹大王能去拆除掉那些丘坛呢？因为有丘坛的存在，百姓就无法专心归向神。我们心里有没有不属于神的地方，我们的生活中有没有“只是”的存在呢？神非常祝福亚撒利雅，因为他定意寻求神，神就使他亨通。他登基时才十六岁，可见从年轻时就定意寻求神，是何等地蒙福。

Israel Multiplies In Egypt

2021-12-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Exodus 1:1-22.  Let’s go!

A. Israel’s affliction in Egypt.
1. (1-6) The twelve sons of Jacob who came into Egypt.

Now these are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt; each man and his household came with Jacob: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. All those who were descendants of Jacob were seventy persons (for Joseph was in Egypt already). And Joseph died, all his brothers, and all that generation.

a. Now these are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt: The first verses of Exodus reach back some 430 years. The story of the Exodus begins where the story Genesis ends: a large family with a crucial place in God’s plan of the ages and their migration to Egypt.

i. The Hebrew title for the Book of Exodus is taken from its first words: And These are the Names Of. In the original language, the first word of Exodus is and, marking its continuity from the Genesis account.

Don’t Waste The Time

2021-12-01 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Titus 3:9-15.  Let’s go!

Titus 3:9 (NIV) 
9  But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.

On verse 9:   Whereas focusing on the Gospel is “excellent and profitable for everyone” (v8), quarreling with people who like to talk to cause trouble is “unprofitable and useless” (v9).   When read together, verses 8-9 are Paul saying to Titus:  Focus on what’s important.  Don’t waste your time on what’s not important. 
 
Titus 3:10-11 (NIV) 
10  Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. 
11  You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.

On verses 10-11:   Paul instructs Titus on how to deal with individuals who have a penchant for causing trouble and division in the church.  He tells Titus to “warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time.  After that, have nothing to do with them” (v10).  In other words, don’t waste too much time or energy on people who are bent on causing trouble and division.   

犹大王亚撒利雅（乌西雅）

2021-12-01 in , /by

〈列王纪〉下 26:5通晓神默示撒迦利亚在世的时候，乌西雅定意寻求神，他寻求耶和华，神就使他亨通。

阅读经文：〈列王纪〉下  15:1-12
〈历代志〉下  26:1-23

犹大王：罗波安→亚比央→亚撒→约沙法→约兰→亚哈谢→（亚她利雅）→约阿施→亚玛谢→亚撒利雅（乌西雅）→约坦

以色列王：耶罗波安（一世）→拿答→巴沙→以拉→心利→暗利→亚哈→亚哈谢→约兰→耶户→约哈斯→约阿施→耶罗波安(二世)→撒迦利雅

就像耶罗波安二世一样，犹大王亚撒利雅（乌西雅）登基后，也成了一个非常伟大的君王，在他的任内有许多辉煌的功绩。亚撒利雅的意思是“我的帮助是耶和华”，乌西雅的意思是“我的力量是耶和华”，在他执政时，的确让人看到神在犹大的作为，重新感受到神的祝福。但是也像历代的犹大王，他们行眼和华眼中看为正的事，“只是”，总有一点美中不足，是神心里的遗憾。这个“只是”让我们感受到神何等希望去掉我们心中的“只是”，多么希望我们能够全然归向祂，不要有“只是”的存在。只要有“只是”的存在，就有百姓还在丘坛献祭烧香的事实，就有百姓还在祭祀偶像和假神。神要的不只是犹大王归向祂，神要的是祂的子民都全然的归回。

神希望的，是否就是犹大王能去拆除掉那些丘坛呢？因为有丘坛的存在，百姓就无法专心归向神。我们心里有没有不属于神的地方，我们的生活中有没有“只是”的存在呢？神非常祝福亚撒利雅，因为他定意寻求神，神就使他亨通。他登基时才十六岁，可见从年轻时就定意寻求神，是何等地蒙福。

亚撒雅对外征服了非利士人、阿拉伯人、米乌尼人和亚扪人，并且从亚扪人收取贡银；他控制了南地，建立了一连串的“沙漠守望塔” （望楼），又在耶路撒冷的角门和城墙转弯之处建筑坚固的城楼，可以防守敌军来袭。他喜悦农事，为牲畜挖了许多井，并设立农夫和修理葡萄园的人；他加强耶路撒冷的防御工事，设计了机器用以射箭发石，装备了最新进的防卫炮火，军队也被重组、重新装备。神给亚撒利雅有各方面的智慧，使整个犹大国兴旺富强。他的名声就远播至埃及。神给他有各方面的帮助，不仅赐他智慧，也赐给他各样的人才，去成就他的心意。

Five Verses That Sum It All Up

2021-11-30 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Titus 3:1-8.  Let’s go!

Titus 3:1-2 (NIV) 
1  Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, 
2  to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.

On verses 1-2:  One of the big themes of the book of Titus is that Christians are to lead by example as much as by their words.  In verses 1 and 2 Paul identifies several characteristics by which Christians can lead by example.   How well do you demonstrate these characteristics?  For example, are you law-abiding (v1)?  Are you quick and ready to do what is good (v1)?  Do you slander (speak maliciously about) no one (v2)?  Do you get along with others (“peaceable” – v2)?  Are you thoughtful and considerate in the way you treat others (v2)?   Do you show true humility to everyone you meet (v2)?  Which of these characteristics do you especially need to work on? 

耶罗波安二世

2021-11-30 in , /by

〈列王纪〉下 14:27 耶和华并没有说要将以色列的名从天下涂抹，乃藉约阿施的儿子耶罗波安拯救他们。

阅读经文：〈列王纪〉下  14:23-29

犹大王：罗波安→亚比央→亚撒→约沙法→约兰→亚哈谢→（亚她利雅）→约阿施→亚玛谢→亚撒利雅（乌西雅）

以色列王：耶罗波安（一世）→拿答→巴沙→以拉→心利→暗利→亚哈→亚哈谢→约兰→耶户→约哈斯→约阿施→耶罗波安(二世) →撒迦利雅

在谈到耶罗波安二世时，不能不提到当时的背景，以及先知约拿。耶罗波安二世做王的时期约在主前793-753年，而亚述之前虽然有时强大有时衰落，在主前约900年时，变得空前强大。那西尔帕二世（主前883－859年）和沙尔马纳塞三世（主前839－824年）相继征服了北部和南部的亚兰（叙利亚）。在约哈斯做王时（主前814-798），因为他带领百姓继续拜金牛犊，因此神屡次把以色列人交在亚兰王哈薛和他儿子便哈达的手里。后来约哈斯恳求耶和华，耶和华就给以色列人一位拯救者，使他们脱离亚兰人的手，让以色列人仍旧安居在家里。这位拯救者是谁？就是亚述王亚大得尼拉力三世。

有块亚述石碑在米索不达米亚北部的 Tell Rimah 出土，记载亚述王亚大得尼拉力三世在（主前805-802）曾有对抗叙利亚之役，他攻击亚兰，使他们一蹶不振，无力再与以色列作对。在这块石碑中记载了当时向他进贡的统治者中，包括“撒玛利亚约阿施”。